by Anna Lewis
Anyone could see them, see her naked and bent over his bike, Ajax stroking her skin and playing her body like an instrument. The thought sent pleasure shooting through Janice despite herself and she gasped.
She heard Ajax groan softly and before she could shift, his fingers were slipping out of her, the length and girth of him pressed against the warmth between her thighs.
Janice bit her lip at the feel. He was so big, she could feel it. Hot and big and his hands tugged gently at her hair. He slowly pushed within her and Janice gasped, feeling her head start to spin. She felt dizzy and lightheaded as he pushed all the way within her, beginning to move in strong thrusts. Janice moaned and squirmed, feeling the sweet pleasure overwhelm her and leave her feeling almost giddy.
His hands tugged her hair, slipping around to grab her breasts, tease her skin, and make her groan. The friction pressed against her hips, the leather seat pressed beneath her and Ajax thrust strongly again.
It made Janice’s head spin. It was perfect, it was dizzying and the friction was sending sparks shooting through her vision. Perfect.
Janice moaned and she could hear Ajax’s groans as the pleasure threatened to overwhelm them both. The sensations overwhelmed Janice and when she climaxed, she climaxed hard. She gasped and moaned into the night as he thrusted into her, hitting every sensitive spot. Waves and waves of pleasure crashed over her, threatening to drown her. She gasped, she squirmed.
She moved as he thrusted into her and left them both trembling with pleasure. Ajax climaxed soon after with a loud groan, holding onto her tightly as he thrusted within her and held her tight, shudders running through them both.
Janice sagged against the bike, leaning on it for support and she felt Ajax’s arms brace on either side of her as he too, tried to keep himself upright. A part of Janice couldn’t help but thrill deeply at the fact that she had made him feel so good, made him take her at the side of the road like this.
Naughty, thrilling and so very, very sexy. Janice felt herself shiver at the idea, even now and she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. They stayed like that for a while, both of them trying to catch their breath and settle before trying to move.
When Ajax eventually did, Janice couldn’t help but sigh. Ajax did up his pants and helped her up. Janice blushed as a sudden worry surged through her, concern about her state if undress. In an unusual show of being a gentleman, Ajax helped her to get dressed and Janice soon slipped into her underwear and bra, her shirt and jeans. She neatened her hair and Ajax grabbed his jacket, throwing it on.
He smirked at her and grabbed another cigarette. “So…” he said, and Janice realized that they hadn’t exchanged words since they’d both finished. “I take it you don’t hate me anymore?” He sounded smug and Janice felt a flush rise to her cheeks.
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
Ajax just laughed. He knew she was bluffing and Janice found that she didn’t really mind. In fact, she didn’t mind at all.
***
The ride home was intoxicating. It took Janice back to the first time that she had ridden on Ajax’s bike. The wind whipped around them both and the elation in her chest made her feel like she might burst. The thrill shuddered through her and made her feel like she was flying.
The intimate moments of before kept flashing in front of Janice’s eyes, sending sparks through her body and her mind. She never imagined that she and Ajax would end up together like that. She had hated him and she was sure the feeling had been mutual. But working with him was proving more and more helpful for them both. Over the weeks, things had been going smoother than ever for the Black Dragons and part of that was due to Janice’s background in psychology. It was easy enough to help them out with their strategies, and even easier to help them pinpoint the flaws in their own designs.
Through talking to Ajax, working with them, and his promise to keep her sister and the bar safe, Janice was starting to feel more and more comfortable. This evening had just brought everything to a head and Janice couldn’t be happier. She realized, with a jolt, that not only did she find him attractive, but she was falling for him, hook, line, and sinker.
This man, dangerous, unusual and with a size that didn’t seem human, this man was making her fall for him, bit by bit by bit. It was frightening, it was thrilling, and Janice could feel something changing inside her. At first, this had only been about the bar and her sister. While her sister was still her priority, Janice could feel the shift working in favor of Ajax as well and the thought sent tingles down her spine.
She held onto his jacket tightly and rested her head against the leather, feeling the comfort and warmth that radiated from him. Danger, comfort, love, hate…everything seemed to exist within this man and Janice was excited to find out more, excited to learn even more about him.
The rest of the ride home passed in relative silence and peace and Janice felt soothed, lulled by the roar of the engine. When she stepped off the bike, she turned to look at Ajax. He had taken off his helmet and his eyes seemed to flash beneath the night sky. It was late. The bar was already closed and her sister was probably asleep at this point.
A slow smile crept over her face. “Coffee?”
“Huh?” He looked surprised and Janice had to smile, unused to seeing him caught off guard.
She laughed softly and shook her head, “Want to come in for coffee?”
A smirk grew on his face. “Didn’t we just do that?”
It took Janice a second to realize what he meant and she blushed. “Ajax, I just mean coffee. Actual coffee.”
He chuckled and looked her up and down. “Yeah, I guess.”
Janice smiled and led him into her apartment above the bar. There were two little apartments above the bar. They were joined, mostly because Charlie and her ex-husband had treated the apartments as one. But they could be easily converted into two that joined together by a central door, which is what Charlie and Janice had chosen to do. Mindful not to wake her sister in the apartment next door, Janice unlocked her door, flicked on the lights and led Ajax inside.
It was a modest little apartment with nothing special to its name. Still, Janice was proud of it. It was neat and tidy, mostly because she spent most of her time sleeping or working. It was nicely set up with dim lights and comfortable seating and Janice smiled. “Take a seat, I’ll grab the coffee.”
She sauntered into the kitchen, feeling lighter hearted than she had in a long time. “Sugar or cream?”
“No, just black, thanks,” came his reply. Janice had to smile—she had guessed correctly, and you could tell a lot about a man by how he drank his coffee. She went about boiling the kettle, unimpressed at the state of the coffee maker, which left her to make instant instead of the good stuff.
Still, it was the company that was important and Janice felt herself inexplicably drawn to the company in the apartment right now. A man who she thought she hated, and now found herself falling deeper for each day, even when he made her mad.
Besides, he was protecting her sister and the bar and that was important to Janice—too important to give up. She brought the coffee back, passing a cup to Ajax and sitting down on the couch near to him.
Janice smiled, but Ajax’s mood seemed to have changed in the time she was making coffee. There was a dark frown on his face and he stared over his coffee, moody and thoughtful. Janice felt nerves trembling in her stomach. “Is something wrong?” she ventured.
Ajax sighed, a low sound, and shook his head. “I don’t suppose so.” He glanced at her and took a long, slow sip of his coffee. “But tonight was a mistake.”
His words hit Janice like a bucket of ice water and her eyes widened in shock and in surprise. “What?” She could barely get her words out. She couldn’t believe he was saying this and her mind was struggling to process it. Tonight was a mistake? So, she was a mistake too, to him?
He looked over at her seriously. “I’m not the guy you want.”
Janice felt hurt and indignation fl
are in her chest. “How do you know?” she found herself shooting back, a harsh tone in her words. “How the hell do you know?!”
“Because I’m not all that you hope I am.” His voice was calm and he seemed unconcerned by her anger.
Janice snorted. “You’re a jerk. I’ve figured that out, but it’s not for you to decide whether or not you’re for me.”
Janice wanted to throw something, or to burst into tears, all at once. “You get to decide whether you want me…not the other way around.”
Ajax’s eyes widened, before they narrowed. “You’re getting into dangerous business.”
“What, because of the Black Dragons?” she sneered.
“Yeah, because of them.” Fire was lighting in his eyes “You don’t believe me?”
“You haven’t given me any reason other than the club! No, I don’t believe you.” She was almost shouting now, wondering how such a gorgeous evening was turning out so terribly. Her heart was breaking and she wished that he would stop being so stubborn.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does! What makes your club so dangerous, huh?!” She was almost mocking him now, and she could see it pushing his buttons.
“Because our name isn’t ironic!” he snapped. Then he paled and pushed himself to his feet.
Janice’s anger drained from her and she looked at him in confusion. “Not ironic?”
“I’ve said too much.” Ajax turned.
Janice jumped up and grabbed him by the arm, voice soft now, “No…what do you mean...” Their eyes met. “Tell me.”
They stayed like that for a long moment, gazes locked, staring at each other, before Ajax sighed, a slow, long sigh and sat back down.
“It’s not ironic,” he said bluntly. “We’re dragon shifters.”
For a moment, Janice wasn’t sure that she had heard him correctly. Dragon shifters? What did that even mean? That was something out of legends and romance novels. It wasn’t reality. He couldn’t mean it.
Their eyes met and Janice suddenly knew that he did. He did mean it and he was being honest. Janice felt her world spin and she sank back into the chair, trying to calm her pounding heart.
“I knew it.” Ajax sighed and made to stand again. Janice grabbed his hand, smiling slowly. “Give me a break, Ajax. It’s a lot to take in.” She held up a hand. “Give me a few hours to process it…but…I believe you.”
Surprise flashed across Ajax’s features and he tried to protest but Janice shook her head. “You’re too handsome to be human.” She laughed and the tension in the air broke.
The rest of their evening passed in relative peace, Janice trying to process everything that Ajax had said, Ajax trying to wrap his head around the fact that Janice really did believe him. They talked about how the whole club were dragons, and how the club loyalty was pretty strong because of it.
Ajax explained how, yes, he could change into a dragon, but the preferred way was to do a partial change and use extra strength, speed, and claws as an advantage. It wasn’t a once a month sort of change—it happened at will, usually.
By the time Janice tumbled into bed that night, after kissing Ajax goodbye, her heart felt a million times lighter than it had before, but her mind felt a million times heavier. He did care, he did and he didn’t want to leave her in the dust.
But he was as dangerous as Janice had first feared, maybe even more so, and he definitely wasn’t human. A lot to wrap her head around, but Janice was confident. It was a lot to believe, but all that mattered was Ajax, the way he looked at her, held her, the sound of his laugh and the feel of his body. That was all that mattered and Janice wasn’t about to let go of it.
She had her sister, the bar was safe, and now, now she had Ajax. Life seemed pretty perfect and Janice wasn’t about to let it go.
She fell into a deep sleep, full of dreams and dragons. In the center of her imagination, was Ajax, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
***
When Janice woke, it was after noon. She stretched and pushed herself out of bed. It wasn’t unusual for her to wake up late, considering how late they stayed up to work. She was usually up by at least eleven, but she’d had a long night and a big day yesterday, so she cut herself some slack. The bar wouldn’t be open for a few more hours at least, so she had plenty of time.
Jumping into the shower, Janice blasted herself with warm water, deciding to shampoo her hair and pamper herself a little. She’d been working hard lately and she was in no mood to see Ajax when she looked terrible and exhausted. He had seen her in a messy state from the beginning, running around in a stained bar apron, hair neat but nowhere near its usual shiny self. He had also seen her looking exhausted and Janice had had enough of it. She needed to take better care of herself, not just for Ajax, but for herself too. She felt a surge of pride in herself and all the work that she had been doing and the desire to take better care of herself reared its head, burning strongly within her.
She deserved it, after all. Janice was not about to let herself slip any further down her priority list.
She took time to put on a face mask, shave and scrub and pamper herself in every way. Then she rinsed it all off, wrapped herself up in a towel and rubbed lotions and creams into her skin. She dried and styled her hair into easy curls and dressed in a simple skirt and blouse combination. Some practical flats for work and a spray of perfume left her feeling fresh and ready to take on the day. A last look in the mirror had her nodding in satisfaction. She grabbed her bag, making sure that she had everything that she needed, before heading out the apartment.
The weather was still warm, so she didn’t bother with a jacket. Instead, she decided to head downstairs to the bar and get ahead of some of the admin work. She had enough work without getting behind on the more boring parts of running a bar, so Janice headed down, grabbing herself some breakfast and a cup of coffee as she did. She breathed in the scent and took a long, slow sip. It was sweet and creamy, just like she enjoyed it best and Janice savored it, humming in satisfaction.
The coffee made her smile, taking her mind back to the night before. A good night’s sleep had helped her clear her head and she was feeling much more confident about the whole thing. If Ajax was being honest, she would deal with it as it came. If not, she would deal with that too. One thing at a time.
A thrill rushed down her spine—she couldn’t help but believe him and she didn’t hate the idea, not at all. All that power and superhuman ability…no wonder he was so magnetic. No wonder he smelled like smoke and tasted like hell, in the best possible way.
Humming to herself, Janice let herself in and sat down to review the work. She was just starting to flick through and respond to a few of the latest bills, when there was a knock on the door.
She glanced up, a wave of hope in her chest. Ajax, maybe it was Ajax. Everyone else knew that they were closed right now, and her sister had her own keys, considering she was the primary owner of the bar. Her heart pounded quietly in her chest, nervousness thrumming across her body, leaving it tense in a delicious way. Her mind drifted back to last night and she blushed, the thought bringing soft color to her cheeks.
Janice stood, nervously smoothing down her skirt and her hair and making her way over to the door. She pulled it open, a greeting on her tongue. It died in her throat as her eyes fell on the man in the doorway.
He was easily Ajax’s size, large and intimidating and Janice could smell the lingering scent of smoke even over his expensive cologne. She shivered as her eyes met his, blue and piercing. He smiled, and it seemed just as predatory as Ajax’s had been.
He was impressive, and instead of a leather jacket and jeans, he wore a tailored suit. It fit him perfectly, smooth and immaculate. It looked expensive and he looked a whole different way from Ajax, a way that Janice hadn’t dealt with in a long time.
He looked like he belonged in the city, and when he spoke, his voice was smooth and low. “I’m looking for the manager of this establishment.” He smiled
at her and Janice felt the shivers run over her body.
He was attractive, there was no getting away from it. Gorgeous eyes, tailored suit, and a sculpted jaw. Still, Janice felt cold in his presence. When she found her voice she nodded, “That would be me. What seems to be the problem?”
Janice managed to fix a smile in place, although she was sure it looked forced, strained. The euphoria of the morning gave way to an odd sort of dread.
“Excellent.” He smiled and offered his hand. “Lucas Balfour, lawyer. I’m here on behalf of my client. Could we speak in private?”
Janice felt cold all over, her knees going a bit weak. Lawyers showing up at your business was almost never a good thing, even Janice knew that. Lawyer. Yes, yes, he certainly looked like a lawyer. Janice steadied herself, knowing if he proved dangerous, that the Black Dragon’s guards would not be far and they would help if she screamed.
She stepped back and let him inside. He entered with the easy grace of a man who knew he was powerful. There was no bravado like there was with Ajax, just pure confidence. He sat down at a table after pulling a chair out for Janice.
When she sat down, he smiled and looked her dead on. “Now, I’m not sure if I caught your name?”
“Janice.” Her voice came out meek.
“Ah, Janice. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He looked at her seriously, though a smile still played on his lips. “Janice, if I may speak very honestly with you…your business is in a bit of trouble.”
“Trouble?” The dread in Janice’s stomach felt like it was turning to lead before her very eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you are facing a discrimination charge.” He was very calm about this and Janice supposed it was because he was used to this, because this was his job and what he did for a living. Janice on the other hand, felt ice slide into her body. She shivered.
“Discrimination? Against who?” she asked.